Sirmaur Forest Dept reclaims 151 bighas of encroached land

Acting resolutely on directions from the Himachal Pradesh High Court, the Forest Department has carried out a sweeping eviction drive across Sirmaur district, reclaiming over 151 bighas and 8 biswas of forest land from illegal encroachments. The operation, executed under the Nahan Forest Circle, has not only cleared vast stretches of land but will now transform these reclaimed spaces into vital departmental infrastructure zones.

The eviction campaign spanned across key divisions—Nahan, Paonta Sahib, Rajgarh and Renukaji—and targeted both long-standing and fresh encroachments. In several cases, encroachers had occupied forest land for years, despite repeated notices and court monitoring.

A major success was recorded in Paonta Sahib’s Girinagar Range, where 20-01 bighas were recovered from Pritam Singh of Samon Kanon village. Similar actions followed against Balwant Singh (13-05 bighas) and Neeta Ram (11-12 bighas) in the same region. In Rajgarh’s Habban Range, the department cleared 14.2 bighas from Parma Ram.

The Sangrah Range of Renukaji Division saw a cluster of evictions from forest blocks like RF Ghaton and RF Gatta Mandwatch, with individuals such as Sant Ram (9-05 bighas), Daya Ram (7-05 bighas) and Chandu (6-07 bighas) losing possession of forest land.

Forest officials said the total evicted area of 151-8 bighas will not remain unused. The department has planned to utilise the freed land for constructing storage units, residential quarters for frontline staff and other essential field infrastructure, aimed at strengthening presence in remote and ecologically sensitive regions.

Vasanth Kiran Babu, Conservator of Forests, Nahan Circle, said: “This isn’t merely about removing illegal occupation—it’s about reclaiming the forest for its true purpose. The reclaimed land will now serve our department’s operational needs, especially in remote areas where staff presence is critical.”

He further added, “Many more eviction proceedings are lined up. We are currently awaiting land demarcation reports from the Revenue Department. Once those are finalised, the next round of eviction will be launched without delay.”

Himachal Tribune